Home › Glossary › Letter M

Metztli

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Aztec moon deity, sometimes male, sometimes female, linked to night and rabbits

Detailed Definition
Metztli governs the night sky and is associated with the myth of the moon’s creation through sacrifice. In poetry, Metztli embodies nocturnal mystery, transformation, and the fluidity of gender and identity in Mesoamerican cosmological and queer literary explorations.
Example
Example in poetry:
Metztli, the Aztec moon deity associated with night and rabbits, glows in Mexican poetry as a symbol of quiet resilience; In feminist verse, Metztli’s soft light challenges solar dominance; Poets use Metztli to frame nocturnal creativity and introspection; In eco-poetry, Metztli’s rabbits vanish with habitat loss; Some works depict Metztli as a weaver of dreams and tides; Contemporary poets invoke Metztli in rituals for emotional healing.
Additional Notes
Metztli is an Aztec (Mesoamerican) moon deity, sometimes female, sometimes male—while not South American, lunar deities like Mama Quilla offer comparative angles; useful in poetry exploring gender fluidity in celestial bodies or the moon’s role in ritual timekeeping.
Also Known As
Meztli
Skip to main content